The Board of Governors of the African Development Bank Group has approved an $8.49 million grant from the African Development Fund (ADF) to help Malawian communities recover from climate-related devastation and build resilience against future disasters, according to a press release by the African Development Bank. The funding will be channeled through the ADF’s Climate Action Window, the Bank Group’s concessional lending facility for the continent’s most vulnerable countries. The grant targets Phalombe and Thyolo, the districts hardest hit by Cyclone Freddy in 2023. It will finance the CAWMA project, Enhancing Climate-Adapted Agricultural Productivity through Improved Water Management. The initiative is scheduled to run from June 2026 to September 2031.
Cyclone Freddy destroyed more than 50,000 hectares of farmland and damaged over 60 irrigation schemes across southern Malawi in 2023. Three years later, the effects remain severe. Nearly three-quarters of Malawi’s population lives below the international poverty line. One in five people experiences chronic food insecurity each year. In Phalombe and Thyolo, stunting affects up to 38% of children under five.
The project will fully rebuild and “climate-proof” three damaged irrigation schemes covering 180 hectares. Smallholder crop yields are expected to rise by 35–40%, while household incomes are projected to exceed $1,000 a year by full project maturity. About 28,000 farmers will be trained in climate-smart agriculture, and 650 hectares of degraded catchment land will be restored through nature-based solutions. At least 40% of direct beneficiaries will be women, with female-headed households prioritized. The five-year project has a total value of $14.41 million.
“This is about reconstruction and transformation,” said Macmillan Anyanwu, the African Development Bank’s Country Manager for Malawi. “We are rebuilding infrastructure that can withstand the next cyclone while equipping farmers with the skills, farm inputs and market access opportunities they need to thrive long after the project ends.”
Neeraj Vij, the Bank’s Regional Sector Manager for Southern Africa, noted that the project promotes inclusive participation by prioritizing the empowerment of women and youth. He added that this ensures the benefits of resilience-building are shared across vulnerable groups.
The project will be implemented by a consortium led by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. It will work alongside the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the United Nations Office for Project Services, and the Government of Malawi. Beyond direct beneficiaries, the initiative is expected to indirectly reach over 10,000 additional households. The wider impact will come through economic spillover from commercial crop production and improved water and sanitation services in the three targeted irrigation schemes. The grant marks a coordinated step to restore livelihoods and strengthen climate resilience in southern Malawi.
